Electrical wall plug



Sept. 9, 1969 F. w. JAMISON ELECTRICAL WALL PLUG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1966 INVENTORJ ree W. Jamison ATTORNEY Sept. 9, 1-969 F. w. JAMISON ELECTRICAL WALL PLUG Filed May 19. 1 966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Fred W- JGH'HSOU v BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,466,454 ELECTRICAL WALL PLUG Fred W. Jamison, 1226 Holy Cross Drive, Monroeville, Pa. 15146 Filed May 19, 1966, Ser. No. 551,331 Int. Cl. H02j 3/00 US. Cl. 307-12 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical wiring system and socket in which the socket includes three conductor plates, one serving as a common plate and the other two serving as separate supply plates, and the wiring includes a first line conductorconnected to one side of a current supply and dividing into two branch lines connected respectively to the separate supply plates, a wall switch connected in only one of the branch lines for controlling the energization of only one of the supply plates, and a second line conductor connected to the other side of the current supply and to the common conductor plate. With this system, a plug of one appliance may be plugged in to two of the prongs and controlled by the wall switch, and a plug of another appliance may be plugged into the other two prongs without being affected by the wall switch.

This invention relates to an electric wiring apparatus in the form of a wall plug effectively being a single pole double-throw plug device for use in connection with electric appliance and with the electric circuit to the plug being controlled by a conventional wall switch.

The plug of this invention has a positive and negative terminal, that are connected to the usual spring connectors and with the positive terminal being divided intermediate its length and with the negative tenrninal being continuous throughout the length of the plug so that two circuits may be established whereas in the conventional wall plug, but a single circuit is established.

A further object of the invention is the use of an elongated strip connector and with upper and lower strips being connected to a source of electrical energy by a conventional wall switch, while the intermediate strip is connected to the negative side of the source of energy.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the use of a plug-in receptacle,

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the plug, parts omitted, for sake of illustration, and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the elongated strip connector.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly FIGURE 2, the numeral 5 designates a conventional molded Bakelite body being formed hollow and divided longitudinally by a partition 6 and with the parts intermediate its length carrying a vertical partition 7 that extends upwardly to be flush with the inner ends 8 and 8' of the body 5. Fixed within the hollow of the body and below the partition 6 is a flat metallic conductor 9 that carries the spring contacts 10 and 10 with the conductor 9 having a set screw 11 whereby to connect a conductor for the negative side of the source of energy. In the hollow above the partition 6 and at each side of the partition 7, there is positioned a fiat conductor plate 12 and 12', having terminal screws 13 and 13 whereby to connect a positive conductor of the circuitry, illustrated particularly in FIGURE 1. The conductors 12 and 12 are separated by the partitions 7 and form with the conductor 9 two separate circuits. The body 5 carries the usual front integral plates 14 that are slotted to expose the spring contacts 10, 10' and 10" and 10" for the conductors 9 and 12 and 12'.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a source of electrical energy having a positive conductor 15 and a negative conductor -16, the positive conductor 15 is connected to a switch device 4, which may be a conventional wall switch and, when the switch 4 is closed, functions to form positive conductors 17 and 18 and the negative conductor 16 forms a negative conductor 19. The positive conductor 17 is connected to the spring contacts 10' through a conductor 20 and a corresponding spring contact 10" is connected to the conductor 18 by a conductor 21. Contacts 10 and 10 of the opposite. side of the plug device 5 are connected to the negative conductor 19 by a conductor 22. Conventional prongs 23 and 23' enter between the contacts 10 and 10" and establish a flow of current to either an appliance 24, which may be any well known device and the appliance 24 is connected into the circuit by a switch 25 or, the lower pair of prongs 23 and 23' may energize a lamp or other device, shown at 26. An accessory, similar to the appliance 24 may also be energized and individually controlled by a switch 27.

It will thus be apparent, that with the improved plug of this invention, plug devices having terminals may be inserted and thereby establish two individual circuits or a series of plugs may be disposed in a convenient location and connected to the conductors 9, 12 and 12 by suitable wire conductors and also the several circuits may be controlled by the switch 4. As will be apparent, the plug of this device controls two circuits, one open and one closed. This will be done by using two positive and one negative terminal. The upper circuit would be closed, and would be used for television sets, for instance or any appliance having its own switch. Lights or other apparatus used would be plugged into the lower circuit and turned off and on by the wall switch 4.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there has been provided a housing 28 in which is fitted and clamped a plurality of elongated metallic terminal strips 29, 29' and 29". The uppermost strip 29 is connected to the source of energy 15' and the conductor 15' is connected to the lowermost strip 29' by a conductor 30 being energized with respect to the conductor 15 by a wall switch 31. The intermediate strip 29" is connected to a negative conductor 32 and has shown, plugs having prongs 33 and 33' establish a flow of current to a lamp or other device 34 or to an appliance 35, that carries its own switch 36.

In the use of the invention, the plug 5 is connected to the negative and positive conductors, through the medium of the screws 13 and 13' or the screw 11, providing a pair of separated circuits through the conductors 12 and 12 and 9 upon one end of the plug or 12 and 12 and 9 upon the opposite end of the plug. The circuitry thus facilitates the energization of lamps or appliances and is a distinct improvement over the plugs in conventional use. The construction of the plug 5 by separating the upper conductor plates 12 and 12 insulating the plates 12 and 12' from each other, makes it possible to install wiring in a building or the like in a simple manner. The spring contacts 10 and 10", carried by the conductor 9 are counmon ground connections and with the condutcors 12 and 12', constituting a complete circuit to the apparatus to be energized.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical wiring system and socket comprising an elongated socket body of insulating material having seats for conductor plates at opposite sides thereof, a first conductor plate on one of said seats at one side of said body, said first conductor plate having two flexible prongs formed integrally therewith located at or adjacent opposite end portions of said body to constitute common terminals for said socket, second and third conductor plates on seats at the other side of said socket body spaced longitudinally of said body, said first, second and third conductor plates being insulated from each other by the material of said body and each having a binding post, said second and third conductor plates each having a flexible prong formed integrally therewith 20 located opposite one of the prongs of said first plate to constitute separate supply terminals for said socket, a first line conductor connected to one side of a current supply and dividing into two branch lines connected re-' spectively to the binding posts of said second and third conductor plates, a wall switch connected in only one of said branch lines for controlling the energization of only one of said second and third conductor plates,

and a second line conductor connected to the other side of the current supply and to the binding post of said first conductor plate, whereby a plug of one appliance may be plugged into two directly transversely opposed h ones of said prongs and controlled by said wall switch,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,582 5/1934 Elliott.

2,214,065 9/ 1940 -Pennock et al.

2,267,080 12/ 1941 Clayton 307-12 2,312,580 3/1943 OBrien 307-12 X 2,313,452 3/1943 OBrien 307-12 X 2,484,092 10/1949 Hopgood.

3,131,987 5/1964- Radack 339-31 X ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner T. B. J 01KB, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 307-112 

